With the beginning of a new year, let go of your fears, inhibitions and self doubt. Manifest your thoughts with the visuals of the goals you want to achieve. You are capable of achieving everything that you believe in. Board exams are around the corner and so is the nervousness and anxiety associated with it. Take this time as an opportunity to culminate the years of hard work and efforts you have put in, in acquiring knowledge.

Prepare for these upcoming exams with a well calculated goal. The key to a well learned mind is a healthy body. Take care of yourself, eat and sleep well. Make sure that you engage in a physical activity daily. Divide your study time in chunks and sequence them with short breaks. Avoid end time exposure to new study material. Plan ahead in advance and give your best.

“You never look good trying to make someone else look bad”
Bullying is a situation of power imbalance where unwanted aggressive behaviors are repeated in day to day interactions. Bullying can be verbal: calling names, taunting or threatening; social: excluding from a group, avoiding, spreading rumors; physical: hitting, pushing, spitting, rude or mean gesturing. It can also be done online, i.e. cyber bullying: by posting/sharing rumors, private pictures and sending inappropriate messages. A child who is being bullied often feels helpless, worthless, lonely and scared. It becomes difficult for him/ her to ask for help. Let us learn to stand for each other so that we feel safe together.

- Remember, before you speak, THINK!

• T- Is it True?
  
• H- Is it Helpful?
  
• I – Is it Inspiring?
  
• N- Is it Necessary?
  
• K- Is it Kind?

- STOP, WALK and TELL

If you find yourself or anyone else in such a situation, take a stand. Do not tolerate such behaviors that make you feel uncomfortable. Walk away from that situation and tell a trusted adult- parents/ teachers/ counselors. Ask for help. Your fear is their power. Take this power back from the bullies.

In a world where you can be anything, choose to be kind.

“When you show deep empathy towards others, their defensive energy goes down and positive energy replaces it. That’s when you can get more creative in solving problems.” – Stephen Covey
Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s difficulties and point of view. It is the ability to understand and share the emotions of others. As humans, we all want to be understood by another. We wish to be accepted, valued and heard. Being understood enhances positive feelings in us. Empathy is thus, interactional and mutual. Empathy helps in developing harmonious relationships, reducing stress, and enhancing emotional awareness. It fosters good, pleasurable and positive feelings. It can give you a sense of identity. Being empathetic fosters emotional, physical health and overall well-being of a person. It is the core component in any conflict resolution.

Tips to be more empathetic!

• . Examine your biases
• . Be mindful of your words and thoughts
• . Listen and don’t interrupt
• . Understand that people have different beliefs
• . Develop positive curiosity about strangers
• . Challenge prejudices and discover commonalities
• . Offer physical affection
• . Offer help
• . Indulge in deeper conversations
• . Appreciate often, genuinely
• . Volunteer
• . Use your imagination
• . Treat people as important
• .Listen with your head and heart

THE GIFT OF GOOD MANNERS

Good manners are an outward expression of inner self. These are best learnt through constant use and example. Our experiences and attitudes during our formative years will be reflective later in our adult life. At a very tender age we must understand the importance of etiquettes and how can we imbibe them. Good manners make social interaction smooth and a pleasant experience. Manners are a pen portrait of an individual. Let us resolve to practice good manners in school and make ourselves as more evolved human beings by keeping in mind the following points:

• 1. Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought with ardour and attend to with diligence.
• 2. Pack your school bag the previous day according to the timetable.
• 3. Do not scribble on walls or deface the school furniture.
• 4. Do not disturb others by shouting, laughing loudly, or gesticulating.
• 5. Be courteous to parents, teachers, peers, and helping staff.
• 6. Be punctual and regular in attending school.
• 7. Wear properly ironed and clean uniform.
• 8. Do not board or align from a moving vehicle.

Stress is a major problem for many of us. It is also a badge of honour for some people, for instance if you are not stressed, you are just not working hard enough. You don’t sleep well throughout the night. The alarm didn’t go off. You get late for the school. There’s a deadline to finish up the assignment, but your computer is down with virus. According to experts, stress levels are increasing and stress- related ailments are shooting up. Stress is different things to different people. For a mountaineer, it is the challenge of pushing physical resources to the limit to achieve a demanding goal. To a motorist, it can be the hassle of heavy traffic and toxic exhaust fumes and to a student it can be exam pressure.

But, what is this stress? It is the inability to cope with a real or imaginary threat to one’s mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well being which results in a series of physiological responses and adaptations. Now that we have understood what stress is, managing it is the next & the most important step to accomplish.

MANAGING STRESS:

1. LAUGH IT OFF! : Children laugh over three hundred times a day but teenagers and adults only fifteen times a day. Laughing really lowers adrenalin & cortisol two stress hormones.

2. ROLL WITH IT! : Rolling one’s feet over a rolling pin for 5 min to relieve tension. This triggers endorphins (happiness inducing brain chemicals).

3. WORK IT OUT! : Incorporating regular exercise in your daily routine will make your pituitary glands release endorphins, which will ease anxiety.

4. EAT IT UP! : Eating green leafy vegetables, almonds and low fat cheese helps in releasing stress as it contains vitamins E & B which are calming vitamins.

5. BREATHE IT OUT! : Breathing deeply by inhaling through our nose and exhaling through our mouth gives body enough oxygen & helps in slowing heart rate.

"Yesterday is Gone. Tomorrow has not come we have only today. Let us begin" – Mother Teresa

Each day is a new chapter to our book of life. We got to live once. Every day that passes is an opportunity if not availed is a waste. It is gone and it will not come back. We cannot enjoy life until we learn how to size every opportunity, But how can we do that ?

Firstly, by beginning our day with a positive note. When you wake up in the morning think of what privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy and to love. A good positive mind can take on any challenge that the day presents.

Secondly, focus on the present, start thinking that whatever I do today will be reflected in the days to come. It is up to me to shape it, to take control and grab every opportunity that comes in my way. The power lies in the choices that you make each day.

It does not matter what you did or where you were … It only matters what you are doing in the present. So my dear Rosarian’s. Get out there! Sing the song in your heart and never let anyone bring you down. Live your life with this kind of exuberance and make the most of each day. Take care and keep smiling.

Have you ever noticed how language can make or break a situation? The kind of words we choose in any situation creates a strong impact on our mind be it positive or negative. Words have a very strong influence on our thinking and perception. Using simple words like 'can' or 'do' instead of ' can't' or 'don't' makes a lot of difference in coping with stressful situations. Below are examples that can be used in daily life

WHAT CAN I SAY TO MYSELF

INSTEAD OF:	TRY THINKING:
I am not good at this	What am I missing
I am awesome at this	I am on the right track
I give up !	I will use some of the strategies I have learnt
This is too hard	This may take some time and effort
I can't make this any better	I can always improve, I will keep trying
I can't do maths	I am going to train my brain in maths
I made a mistake	Mistakes help me improve
I will never be as smart as her	I am going to figure out what she does and try it
It's good enough	Is this really my best work?

 

So let us begin this new academic session on a positive note. Make a fresh start with optimistic approach and a new strategy to deal with situations.

Good luck and keep smiling!